Metal face printing block



July Z0, 1937. p, zlMMER 2,087,462

METAL FACE PRINTING BLOCK Filed June 50, 1934 Fvcr Z/inme r I INVENTOR 76- ATTORNEY.

Patented July 20, 1937 UNl'l'E FFIQE Peter Zimmer,

Application June 30,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to printing blocks of the type embodying an assembled metal face plate and wood base and has reference particularly to the means used to permanently afiix the 5 plate to the base.

In the graphic arts it is known to mount a photo-engraving plate or the like upon a wood base by means of an adhesive, but because of the failure of this means to insure permanent adher- 10 ence of the plate and wood block under the various conditions to which such a printing block is subjected, the trade still continues to adhere to the old practice of routing out portions of the surface of an etched or engraved plate and securing it to the wood base by means of tacks or other similar devices. It is highly desirable to utilize metal faced wood block as a printing medium in these arts, because its cost is very much lower than that of solid brass or copper blocks and because the engraved or etched subject may be brought right to the edge of the block, a condition not practical when nails are driven into the routed portions and used as a fastening means between plate and wood base.

With the foregoing in mind, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a metal faced wood printing block of any size and shape which is capable of withstanding hard usage and extreme pressure in a printing press and which will not separate under any conditions to which blocks of this character may be subjected. I accomplish this purpose by means of the present invention, one embodiment thereof being hereinafter described in the specification, set forth in the appended claims and illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is an elevational View of my metal faced wood block showing a portion of the metal broken away to illustrate the scored surface of the wood base; Figure 2 is a substantially 1ongitudinal sectional view of the. block taken on lines 2--2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an elevational view of the surface of the metal plate which abuts that of the wood base.

Referring to the drawing, ll! denotes a plate of sheet metal consisting of copper, brass or zinc, having if desirable a chromium plated outer printing surface. The opposite face of the plate it is scored to provide grooves H, as shown in Figure 3. The plate H7 is superimposed upon a Wood base I2, the contacting surface of which is Cal New York, N. Y.

1934, Serial No. 733,209

scored to provide grooves 13, which may or may not project in a direction corresponding to that of the grooves H. A layer of adhesive substance is is interposed between the scored surfaces of the plate and base and the assembled block is subjected to considerable pressure for a period sufiicient to enable the adhesive to completely set and form a bond between the parts which for all practical purposes, renders the printing block an integral member.

A printing block constructed in accordance with the present invention and insured against separation of the metal plate and wood base is well adapted for the photo-engravers art, because a large number of separate subjects may be photographed and etched upon a single large block and then cut apart in the various sizes and shapes required. Thus each part will be ready immediately for the press. Or if the block is required for rules, borders and ornaments, it necessitates merely the cutting or sawing of the material into the desired sizes and shapes for this purpose. Each piece after separation from the main block is ready for use, because its sides are all flush without any trace of flanges or shoulders, and when set in a composition embodying ordinary type, as in any typographical Work, there is no loss of space between the block and type. All of these advantages have been brought about by the fact that in the present invention fastening means have been used which insure an integral bond between plate and wood base.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A printing block of the character described, comprising a base and a superposed metal face plate cemented thereto, the contacting surfaces thereof being scored to provide them with parallel and diagonal grooves.

2. A printing block of the character described, comprising a wood base having a scored surface of parallel diagonal grooves on one face, a metal printing plate superimposed on said scored surface of the base and provided with scoring of parallel diagonal grooves on its surface contacting with the base, and an adhesive interposed between the contacting surfaces to bind the plate and base together in an integral block.

PETER ZIMMER. 

